Velino Massif

The Velino massif, located in the western part of the Park, is one of the most impressive and extensive of The Central Apennine. The tormented and complex orographic structure that distinguishes it, determines a wide variety of microclimates and environments: it is a biological wealth of great importance, with a twenty distinct plant communities, included in the four altitude bands that follow each other from the feet of the massif (1,000m approximately), to its top (2,486m); in such area there are about 600 species of plants and 190 species of vertebrates, regularly included in the census.

From a minimum of 987m (Bocca of Teve), the Velino massif rises up to peaks that exceed 2,000 meters above sea level, such as Mt. Velino (2,487m), which is the third summit of the Apennines, Mt. Cafornia (2,424m), Mt. Sevice (2,331m), Mt. Rozza (2,064m).

The geological nature of the massif is characterized by Cretaceous organogenic limestones, compact and very permeable, only in some high altitude plateaus are constituted of marly formations, less permeable and with faster pedogenesis.

The Velino gives the opportunity to observe a wide range of geomorphological phenomenon. Imposing manifestations of quaternary glacialism are those of the Maielama Valley and Teve Valley, two major glacial valleys with U section, long up to 5 km and deeply collected between high precipice walls. They have frequent signs left by glaciers that have formed: glacial thresholds, moraine accumulations, erratic boulders, rocks, suspended valleys (among which the largest is the Genzana Valley which flows in the Maielama Valley).